HONOLULU – Former professor and director of the Architectural Practicum program in the School of Architecture at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Donald Goo and his wife Laura, have established the endowed School of Architecture Practicum Fund with their $150,000 gift. With this gift, they are also providing funds for a related expendable fund. Their generosity will support and further develop the Architecture Practicum program and provide financial assistance to students who are attending Practicum Studios.

The Practicum Studio is a major component of the architecture doctorate degree program, which sends students across the globe and features learning in a leading architect’s office. It utilizes a variety of experiences and interactions to develop a range of skills including leadership learning, understanding the impact of culture on decision making, and making use of state-of-the-art communication and collaboration tools and techniques suited not only to the practicum experience, but also to future global practice.

“Laura and I are very pleased to provide seed funding for the Practicum Studio program that will create a distinctive architectural education for students from the east and west, ” said Donald Goo. “Interest in the practicum program has led to a discussion to provide a unique dual degree option for a masters degree from Shanghai’s Tongji University and a doctor of architecture degree from the School of Architecture at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. There is an exciting road ahead as we explore this bridge, guided by the work of many dedicated scholars and professionals.”

Roosevelt High School graduate, Donald W.Y. Goo attended the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa from 1951-53, the University of Michigan from 1953-54 and received a bachelor’s degree in architecture from the University of Illinois in 1957. He then joined Wimberly & Cook, and later became a partner. While at the firm, renamed Wimberly Whisenand Allison Tong & Goo Architects Ltd, and later renamed Wimberly Allison Tong & Goo (WATG), he held the positions of president, CEO and chairman and led prominent projects including the re-creation of the Hilton Hawaiian Village from 1982-1988, and the Hawai‘i Convention Center in 1997. Goo, a past University of Hawai‘i Foundation trustee, retired from WATG in 2007. He is now a consultant with a focus on providing development strategies for recreating existing resorts.

Laura Ray Luke received her bachelor degree in psychology from the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa in 1960. Laura was a director for the Hawai‘i Consortium for the Arts, a nonprofit organization that provides legislative advocacy as well as technical assistance for artists and arts organizations, along with gathering and distributing information about the arts in Hawai‘i. She was also a long time volunteer with the League of Women Voters and Aloha United Way.

“Don and Laura Goo are true friends of the School of Architecture,” said Clark E. Llewellyn, dean of the School of Architecture. “They recognize the uniqueness of the University of Hawai‘i and are committed to providing support that helps our local students excel and compete on a global scale.”

The School of Architecture inspires transformative design at the global scale with preeminence in the Asia-Pacific region.

Mission: Building for the 21st Century

The School of Architecture responds to our unique location in the Asia-Pacific region and recognizes the privilege and responsibility to address cultural, environmental and social diversity. We commit to passionate and engaging community participation through teaching, learning, research, professional practice and service.

The University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa serves approximately 20,000 students pursuing more than 225 different degrees. Coming from every Hawaiian island, every state in the nation, and more than 100 countries, UH Mānoa students matriculate in an enriching environment for the global exchange of ideas. For more information, visit http://manoa.hawaii.edu

The University of Hawai‘i Foundation, a nonprofit organization, raises private funds to support the University of Hawai‘i System. Our mission is to unite our donors’ passions with the University of Hawai‘i’s aspirations to benefit the people of Hawai‘i and beyond. We do this by raising private philanthropic support, managing private investments and nurturing donor and alumni relationships. www.uhfoundation.org